Subject: Here's the recipe for "pho"
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 91 19:41:45 EDT

I don't know the exact quantities of ingredients she used
for her yummy "pho." But here is her rough estimates of
ingredients.  Most of these items can be found at your
local markets, except maybe for one item (auiseeds,$.59),
which can be found at any Vietnamese/Chinese market,
and is optional if you don't have it.  Most Vietnamese
would add MSG (monosodium glutamate)
as flavor enhancer, but we don't use it (it's not good for
you anyway, and is not necessary).

This recipe make about 10 servings, but you can cut the
quantity of water by 1/2 for 5 servings.  Mother always
makes this much for the family. The broth is very important.
A good "pho" needs a GOOD broth.

Ingredients:

* about 10 lbs. of bones(beef, the leg part)
* fresh ginger root, about 1 inch
* 5 small red onions
* 2 florets or dried auiseeds
* 1.5 gallons water
* one package of fresh rice noodles (banh pho)
* salt to taste (1 tsp.)
* fish sause to taste
* 1 lbs. beef fillet mignon, cut in thin slices
* one toe sized lump of rock sugar (available in
  Vietnamese market.  OR use 1 tsp. table sugar.
  This is optional)
* fresh basil leaves
* green onions, chopped
* fresh cilantro, chopped
* fresh bean sprout (optional)
* fresh lemon (optional)
* fresh jalapeno pepper or hot red pepper (optional)

For the Broth:

Rinse the bones hot water with a pinch of salt (don't ask me why.  Mom just
does it.  She thinks it helps chase away the beefy odor.  You don't really
have to rinse w/salt).  Submerge the bones in hot tap water and bring to
boil, then discard this first "broth" so that the "pho" final broth would
be nice and "clear" and not muddy looking.  Now for the real broth, add 1.5
gallons of water and 1 tsp. salt and bring to boil. While waiting for
boiling point, add these:

Lightly charbroil the ginger root and red onions over open flames on your
stove.  For the ginger, roast until you can easily peel the skin, about 3
min.  Peel off the out skin. Add to the broth.  For the onions, charbroil
until the outer skin layer are burnt, but don't over do it, about 3 min.
Lightly roast the auiseeds for about 1-2 min. in a pan.  Add all of these
to the broth. Add the sugar (optional).

When the water boils, lower the heat and simmer for about 6 hrs.!! (less
time if you're using less water).  The long process of simmering is
supposed to extract the juices out of the bones, onions, ginger, auiseeds
to make the broth tasty w/out the use of MSG (please don't ever use MSG,
like most Asians in your cooking!  It's not good for you, and you don't
need it!

When you are ready to eat:

For the rice noodles preparation, boil some water in a pot.  Put the amount
of rice noodles you want in a strainer (the kind with a handle, and small
enough to fit in the pot you're using.) and submerge it in the boiling
water for a few seconds and quickly take it out!!  The timing is important
for a good rice noodle.  You don't want to overcook the rice noodle for too
long ( even 15 sec. can be too long!!) and have soggy noodles!  Just dip
the noodles in the boiling water and lift it out (about 5 sec., or just
done) quickly and put it in your bowl.

If you have a lot of broth and only wants to make one or two servings, take
out enough broth you want and bring it to a boil in another pot.  Dipp in
the amount of sliced beef you want, just enough to cook the meat, depends
on how well done you want it.  Put the cooked meat into your bowl of rice
noodle and add enough broth to submerge them.  Then add the green onions &
cilantro to garnish.  Add fish sauce to taste, if needed.  Usually the
broth is good w/out any extra salt or fish sauce.  Then garnish with fresh
basil leaves and/or bean sprouts (a handful)if you like.  I love to squeeze
a slice of fresh lemon and a bit of red hot pepper (or jalapeno) to taste.
This is optional. If you're using hot red pepper, becareful! It can too
very hot, depending your your taste buds tolerance!!

Well, I hope it will turn out as good as the other one you made.  Since I
myself never made this, I can't guarantee anything.  My mom told me the
recipes and I've watched her cook this last week.  If you have any
questions or if I goofed somewhere, please let me know.

Hope this helps!

BTW, where do you live that you have some Vietnamese acquaintances?
I'm curious where other Vietnamese people live, though I know
they are scattered everywhere throughout the country.
What other Vietnamese food have you tried and liked??

Thuba


Subject: auiseeds=star anise
Date: Mon, 8 Apr 91 13:32:00 EDT

For the pho recipe, I found out that the auiseeds were the same as star
anise seeds!  So, add about 2 star anise seeds to the broth.

Thuba


Subject: shallots, not red onions
Date: Sun, 31 Mar 91 14:11:15 EDT

I thought it was called red onions, but it's not!  I went to the store and
found this out yesterday!  Soorrryy...  So for the "pho" use shallots
instead of the red onions, though it would be o.k.  The regular onions are
fine too, but my mom uses shallots.